Mum has gone lockdown grey...

[GreenGreenGrassofSloane]

From dark brown and if I saw her in the street I seriously would not recognise her, I can't get my head around the change. Granted, I've only seen a few pics but it's truly shocking - she's 87 years old and this is very new for all of us!

I've joined your mum and I'm 47.
I have no intention of dyeing my hair again and am continuing to grow out my colour.

Yep I’m lockdown grey too. What can you do!!!

I'd imagine it looks a bit better, does it? Although I have to confess, my pet hate is older women (or men for that matter) keeping their hair dyed a single hair colour all over. It looks so fake and unnatural.

I'm doing it too. in my 50's. Not sure I'll last though.

My grandmother did this years ago when I was a teen.

She lived very far away so I'd only see her about once a year. My whole life she had raven black hair and then one year the next time She visited she had full pure white hair.

It looked beautiful but for the first moment I didn't know it was her as she hadn't told me (the family) that she's had let it go natural and when I go at home from school I wondered who this person was visiting my mums house.

I'm doing it too and I'm 35! I'm waiting till it's carried through a bit further and then I'm planning to get it cut and add pink or purple! My mum thinks it is terrible, my kids have told me I need to dye it as I look old, my husband has said to go for it as I won't get another chance to do it like this. I'm liking the lightness around my face but cannot wait time be past the 'oh dear she looks a bit like a vagabond' stage. I've been mainly working from home so I think my colleagues are in for a bit of a shock next week!

Good for your mum making an effort with her appearance up to the age of 87! Fantastic.

I don't judge my mum - she's dyed it because for years she has felt trapped by it, I think she feels liberated, but it's weird how unfamiliar she looks - but I won't dye my hair - I'm almost 50, don't have many greys though.

Well at least she's 87 with the greys. I've just turned 25 and I have too many grey hairs to count!

good for you all! life is too short to spend so much energy on this shit we've been told is a problem

@trumpisaflump

Good for your mum making an effort with her appearance up to the age of 87! Fantastic.

Do you think that if women don't dye their hair they are not making an effort?

@ArtieFufkinPolymerRecords in my opinion yes. But that's just my opinion.

You can make an effort with your appearance even with grey hair.

It's a crappy opinion @trumpisaflump - have you not seen grey-haired models? Once you get past a certain age dyeing gives you that whole wig-on-a-skull vibe, where grey or white would be much softer

@ClassicCola

You can make an effort with your appearance even with grey hair.

Why should we?!

Yep. 46 here and embracing the grey partly not through choice (reaction to hair dye), partly due to lockdown (hair dressers shut so no foils) and partly because I've been interested for ages to see what it looks like.

Well BIWI, you don't have too, no. But not dying your hair is not a sign you don't make an effort, should you want too.

@DameFanny yes I have seen grey haired models and agree they look absolutely fantastic. However my friends and workmates don't look like this when they go grey. They look washed out and decades older than their actual age. Their hair looks wiry and not silvery our glossy like models. I want to tell them to dye their back to brown but I'm too polite in real life and say- no you look great! It's only on an anonymous forum like MN I can state my true opinion.

I've been 'lockdown grey' for 2 years and I'm only 38. Certainly doesn't mean I've 'stopped making an effort'!

@trumpisaflump do you feel the same about men who go grey naturally and don't dye it?

[quote trumpisaflump]@DameFanny yes I have seen grey haired models and agree they look absolutely fantastic. However my friends and workmates don't look like this when they go grey. They look washed out and decades older than their actual age. Their hair looks wiry and not silvery our glossy like models. I want to tell them to dye their back to brown but I'm too polite in real life and say- no you look great! It's only on an anonymous forum like MN I can state my true opinion. [/quote]
I would hope they would tell you to MYOB if you felt the need to tell them they look decades older. I don't think I'd be so polite though.

I'm touching up roots at 49. Looks ok.
Some people luck out with their shade of grey hair. My aunt is a redhead and she laments the fact that hers is yellow-y gray. She dyes, but chooses a brighter red than I think suits. She was an amazing dark carroty red back in her day (not quite auburn) , but it doesn't seem to work as well.
If I go gray, I do think I'll have to rethink my makeup. I have pale skin, light eyes and dark hair. Guarantee I'm going to look washed out!

Wondering about eyebrows, now...

“@DameFanny yes I have seen grey haired models and agree they look absolutely fantastic. However my friends and workmates don't look like this when they go grey. They look washed out and decades older than their actual age. Their hair looks wiry and not silvery our glossy like models. I want to tell them to dye their back to brown but I'm too polite in real life and say- no you look great! It's only on an anonymous forum like MN I can state my true opinion.”

I find this so sad. I’m 36 and going grey. I’d love to leave it but it people like you that mean I’m too scared to. I don’t want to look nearly 50 instead of 40. But I wonder if it’s just years of fashion and media that mean if I’m grey I “look” older. Are we conditioned to think grey is old and write a person off rather than just accepting a person for who they are regardless?

There's nothing wrong with grey, I've been grey for years and I always post a photo on these threads. So much negativity about grey. Grey is great.

I hate the idea that women that go grey 'don't make an effort', such a negative view of the world. What's wrong with being oneself?

I can't believe there's still people who think going grey is letting yourself go (whatever that's supposed to even mean)